Life saving device



Dec. 1, 1931. D. B. ZIGTEMA LIFE SAVING DEVICE Filed May 25, 193

O 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Dec. 1, 1931. D. B. ZIGTEMA 1,334,885

LIFE SAVING DEVICE- Filed May 25, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 2 )NVENTOR ATTORNEY r 7 III.

WITNESS} Dec. 1, 1931. zlGTEMA 1,834,885

LIFE SAVING DEVICE Filed May 23, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIRK B. ZIGTEMA, OF WICHERT, ILLINOIS LIFE SAVING DEVICE Application filed May 23, 1930. Serial No. 455,014.

This invention relates to life saving ap- Figure is a fragmentary sectional view paratus and has for an object the provision through the upper part of the buoyant memofmeans to facilitate the escape of persons her. from disabled submarine and other vessels. Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sec- 56' An object of the invention is to provide a tional view on the line 1111 of Figure 9.

' hollow buoyant member capable of accom- Figure 12 shows a fragmentary elevation inodating a number of persons and normally of one end of the cable, and a cross sectional housed within a chamber extending downview of said cable. wardv from the deck of the vessel, together Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view with means to release the buoyant member through one end of the cable drum. and maintain contact with the vessel after Figure 14 is an end view of the drum. the buoyant memberis released, so that the Figure 15 is a fragmentary sectional view said member may be returned to the vessel illustrating a slightly modified form of the for-further use. invcntlon.

1b Another object of the invention is the pro- Referring to the drawings in detail wherevision of mean whereby the b yant me in like characters of reference denote correbe may be r tur d t th ve l through sponding parts, the reference character 16 the medium of means operated either from represents the hull Of a submarine OI other the vessel or from said member, whereby V l and 17 the deck.

2-3 th member may b t d t th vessel f Extending downwardly from the deck 17 7 further use in the event that persons left 18 1, chamber 18, the walls 19 Of which are aboard ar di abl d, shown as cylindrical and tapering to a point With th ab ve d th bj t i i w, at the bottom of the chamber. The chamber the invention further includes the following 8 13 preferably positioned in a transverse a? novel f t d d mfl f t ti t bulkhead 20 which separates two compartb h i ft more f ll d ib d, 111 ments of the vessel and the vessel may be trated i th aceompanymg d i d provided with two of such chambers p0sipoi t d t i th a d d l i tioned upon opposite sides of the longitudi- I th d i nal center of the vessel, or in any other con- 89 Figure 1 is a, top plan iew of a submarine venient Each Of the chambers and 0 vessel i d ith th i ti the cooperatlng parts of the device are of Fi u 2 i an l d fragmentary like construction, so that only one of the ti l i on th li 2 2 f Fi 1 devlces Wlll be described. While two are Fi 3 i a ti on th li 3 3 f shown, any sultable number may be provided. Figure Normally positioned within the chamber Fi 4 i i i il t Fi 2 ith 18 is a hollow buoyant member 21. This th b t member l d member is preferably formed of inner and Fi 5 i a t l i f th b y t outer walls 22 and 23 respectively so as to b provide an annular space 24. This space 40 Fi 6 i a lik i l ki d i t may be a1rt1ght to provide increased buoyth ha b ancy, orit may be filled with cork, or some Fi 7 i a fragmentary id i illusother light material. Vertically disposed trating one of the positioning lugs of the ribs 25 connect the walls 22 and 23 so as to buoyant member, resist pressure of the water. 45 Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 The buoyant member is provided with of Figure 4. openings 25, preferably two of these open- 7 Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view ings being provided, the openings in the taken through a portion of the submarine inner wall 22 being in register with the vessel and showing the life saving apparatus. openings in the outer wall 23, as shown in elevation. in Figure 11 of the drawings. These open- 'ings are surrounded by a frame 26 which connects the inner and outer walls and this frame is provided with guides 27 which receive the opposite edges of a door or closure 28. This door slides in the guideways and the latter are provided with rubber or other waterproof packing 29 so as to form a leak proof joint. 'The doors 28 are provided with oppositely extending handles 30 which are disposed within the space between the walls" opening 'willbe upon the opposite side of the bulkl'i ead. This permits entrance into the chamber 18 from either side of the bulkhead, so that should one compartment befiooded, occupants of the vessel may enter from the 5 other compartment The openings 32 are normally closedby doors or closures 33 and I the latter are provided with oppositely extendinghandles 34, whereby the doors may be manipulated from either side of'the wall 1 19. Thus, persons upon either side of the bulkhead '20 may enter the buoyant member 7 through the openings 32 and 25.

The top of the buoyant member is closed by a cover 35, and this cover is reinforced I by channel bars 36, so as to reslst pressure of the water. The cover 35 extends beyond the outer wall 23 of the buoyant member and is provided with a compressible gasket or packmg 37 which engages an. annular flange 38 extending around the upper open edge of chamber, 18'.

the chamberlS." When the gasket is forced into close, contact with the flange 38 a leakproof joint will be provided;

Operating in guides 39 which connect the inner and outer walls of the buoyant member are bolts or latches 40. These latches are yieldingl'y ,fo'rced outward by means of springs 41 and are adapted to be received in sockets'42 disposed adjacent the top of the p The outer ends of these bolts or latches are beveled so as to engage the beveled edge of the flange 38, and when the buoyant member is forced into the chamber 18, these latches will automatically engage within the sockets 42. Levers 43 are connected with these latches and are pivotally mounted as shown at 44 so that the latches may be manually retracted fromwithin the buoyant member. 7 The cover 35 is provided with a hatchway 45 which is normally closed by' a hatch 46. A pivotally mounted clamping member 47 serves to hold the hatch in closed position. n

In order to insure reglster of the openlngs 25 with the openings 32 when the'buoyant member is positioned within the chamber 18,

the chamber 18 these lugs will engage upon either side of thepointed portions 49 of the cam shoulder 48. The lugs are so positioned that when the buoyant member ismoved downward and the lugs positioned within the pointed portions 50, the openings 25 and 32 will be directly opposite one another. This is true irrespective of which side of the pointed-portions 49, the lugs 51 engage. The walls 19 of the chamber 18 are provided with check valves 52. These valves are located below the lower edge of the openings 25 and 32, and when the buoyant member is forced into'the chamber 18, water therein will escape through these check valves so that the level of the water remaining in thechamber will be below the lower edges of the openings 25 and 32. r

Extending througha suitable packing 53 provided in the lower pointed end of the buoyant member is a cable 54. This cable also extends through a packing member 55 in the lower pointed end of the wall 19, so that the cable may be run through these packing members and a lea'kproof joint be maintained. The cable extends downwardly within a compartment hit-provided within a housing 56'. This housing is arranged at-the bottom of the chamber 18 and carries a drum 57v which is as on a shaft 581 Freely rotatable on the shaft 58 isa-brake drum 59 and this drum is locked to the shaft when rotated in one directionthrough the medium of an overrun clutch 60. A. brake band 61 engages the drum and its tension is regulated by means of a turnbuckle 62." When the shaft i'srotated to wind the cable on the drum 57,, the brake drum 59 will be free of the shaft 58, but when the drum rotates in a direction to unwind the cable, the brake drum willbe fast with the shaft and the brake band will be so adjusted as to permit of a free unwinding movement without back lashcot thejcable.

' The drum 57 may be operated by any suitable means, s;uch as a motor 63 and a belt and pulley drive '64. Ifdesired, a crank handle 65 may be engaged with the shaft '60 to manually rot-ate the drum.- Normally, this crank handle is mounted in hangers 66,.at one side otthe housing 56. The housing is provided with openings 67 which are normally closed by doors 68. Conductor wires 69 may lead in through the housing as shown in Figure iii) 2 for electrical connection with the motor 63.

Preferably, the cable 54 has electric cables and 71 embedded therein. These cables carry conductor wires 72 and 7 3 which extend into the buoyant member so that the latter may have telephonic and other electrical communication with the sunken vessel when the buoyant member is released.

The end of the cable passing into the buoyant member may be connected with a hand operated Windlass 74 whereby an occupant of the buoyant member may wind the cable upon this Windlass and return the buoyant member to the vessel. This is especially useful where it is necessary or desirable to return to the submarine or sunken vessel after the buoyant member has made one or more trips to the surface.

Extending inward through the top or cover 35 of the buoyant member are hose couplings 75. These couplings are secured in brackets 7 6 and their upper ends are normally closed by caps 77. An air hose may be attached to the outer end of either or both of these con.- plings, and a similar hose may be attached to their inner ends and may extend through the openings 25 downward to the sunken vessel. The lower end of the hose may be attached tothe air supply tubes usually found in submarine vessels for the distribution of a supply of air to the various compartments of the vessel.

. In order to provide a supply of current to the cables 7 O and 71, the cable 59 has one of its ends secured to the drum 57 as shown at 78 in Figure 13 of the drawings. The conductor wires 72 and 7 3 are connected to spring contacts 7 9 carried by the drum 57 and these contacts wipe against distributor rings 80 which are carried by a stationary support 81. The rings 80 are connected with a suitable source of current.

In Figure 15, the coiled spring 82 is positioned within the bottom of the chamber 18 and bears against the lower end of the buoyant member, so that when the latter is released through operation of the latches 42, this spring will exert an upward pressure against the bottom of the buoyant member and insure its initial upward movement by counteracting suction within the chamber 18.

The invention is susceptible oi various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed is I 1. In a submarine vessel, a chamber open at the top and extending downward from the deck of the vessel, watertight doors providing access to said chamber from the interior of the vessel, a watertight hollow buoyant member adapted to be positioned within said chamber, means carried by said member to close the upper end of the chamber, means to releasably lock said member within said chamber, watertight doors for the buoyant member,a cam shoulder extending around the inner wall of said chamber, and lugs extending from the buoyant member to engage said shoulder and guide and position the buoyant member to bring the doors of the latter into register with the doors of the chamber.

2. In a submarine vessel, a chamber extending downward from the deck of the vessel having a beveled flanged open upper end, watertight doors providing access to said chamber from the interior of the vessel, a watertight hollow buoyant member adapted to be positioned within said chamber, means carried by said chamber to close the open upper end of the chamber, radially movable spring-pressed means to releasably and automatically lock said member within said chamber and adapted to cooperate with the flanged upper end of the chamber during the locking action of the member within said chamber, watertight doors for the buoyant member and interengaging means between said member and the walls of said chamber to bring the doors of the buoyant member into register with the doors of the chamber.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

DIRK B. ZIGTEMA. 

